Chapter 242: The Weight of the Nine Cauldrons

The news that Jiang Hua had organized a group to wipe out the Golden Crane Mountain sect had finally reached Gongliang City after spreading for these past few days.

After this incident, the great name of the Blood Tiger Jiang Hua spread throughout the surroundings of Gongliang City, and for a time, it was even known as far as the Fucheng.

At any time, a Qi and Blood martial artist killing a Martial Master across ranks is sensational, big news.

The three people who participated in this battle, Jiang Hua, Zhou You, and Du Yan Lu Zhigang, became figures of the moment.

Jiang Hua avenged his father; although he was registered at the Jianxiong Martial Hall, what he primarily practiced was not the Tiger-Subduing Fist, but the strange and inexplicable Blood Sand Palm.

This person was registered at the Jianxiong Martial Hall, endured for many years, and erupted in one stroke, finally avenging his father.

But his methods were sinister and contrary to the mainstream, so others were unwilling to associate with him.

Du Yan Lu Zhigang was even more extreme and difficult for others to approach; furthermore, the Poison Sand Palm harmed both the user and others, and the barrier from Qi and Blood to Martial Master was a life-or-death gamble—if one couldn't pull through, it was all for nothing.

Besides, he had offended too many people and was destined to only act in the shadows, unable to see the light of day.

Only Zhou You had built a reputation for the Double Body Tiger Form Fist by combining the Tiger-Subduing and Two Hearts Fist styles.

For a time, there was no shortage of martial artists in the city inquiring about this fist technique.

If it weren't for the fact that Zhou You only possessed Qi and Blood and lacked the qualifications to open a martial hall, I fear that by now, no fewer than two digits of people would have come to his door to apprentice and learn the fist, calling him "Hall Master" or "Master."

"Little Master Zhou, I have delivered the message; let us know once you have made a decision."

A middle-aged Qi and Blood martial artist wearing a short-collared round robe left politely.

This middle-aged man was in the late stage of Qi and Blood, representing the city's martial guild to invite him to join.

Zhou You did not agree on the spot because the waters of this matter were too deep, and it could not be ruled out that someone wanted to use him as a pawn.

The president of the martial guild was Wang Jianxiong; it was impossible for him to have sent someone to invite Zhou You to join, so the faction the middle-aged man represented was the other party in the martial guild hostile to Wang Jianxiong.

With his small stature, rashly getting involved in this would definitely mean being used as a blade by others.

No one understood the terror of Wang Jianxiong better than he did.

Zhou You shook his head and turned around, casting the other party's words to the back of his mind.

His current state was running between the city and the small town, stuck in a state where the mission was not yet completed, using projection to switch between the two places.

One moment he was "Du Yan Lu Zhigang" in the small town, and the next he was at home eating and doing chores with his parents.

The projection provided by the panel was a very wondrous existence.

In the projection state, one could communicate with the outside world, receive information, and provide feedback without any issues, but one could not have physical contact, otherwise, the ruse would inevitably be exposed.

Therefore, Zhou You could daily act in two places, only switching to his true body when physical contact with objects was necessary.

The only pity was that the remaining half-life of Cheng Xiaohe could not last too long; once he breathed his last and the mission was settled, the avatar projection function would be canceled, and working in two places would be difficult to maintain.

Hmm, he needed to plan an escape route in advance.

In the afternoon, Zhou You appeared at the Zeng Fu, because just a few days ago Ceng Fuzi had returned home and sent someone to invite him over.

"Zhou You, bringing things again, you are too polite."

What Zhou You brought on this visit was a piece of seal stone, not a precious variety, but just right for practicing.

Ceng Fuzi played with the stone a few times, nodded in satisfaction, and then tucked it into his sleeve.

"Sit down and talk!"

The location was in the study, with only the master and apprentice present; Miss Ceng was not there.

"Take a look at this turtle shell and see what you think."

A mottled turtle shell, covered in scratches and dents, with old mud in the depressions that was black and shiny, fully displaying an ancient and weathered look.

Branch-like cracks divided the turtle shell into five areas: one large and four small.

On the surface of the turtle shell, a familiar half-character was carved. "Hmm?"

Zhou You recognized it; wasn't this the half of the ancient character he had deciphered for Ceng Ruyu?

"You recognize it; how is Ruyu's handiwork?"

Zhou You looked up abruptly, confirming that Ceng Fuzi also knew about the half-incomplete character. "Not bad, quite good."

Not only was the character transcribed onto the turtle shell, but the object was also aged so severely that anyone who saw it would think it was an ancient relic left behind thousands of years ago.

"You two young people are still too rash; when it concerns the Nine Cauldrons of the Heavenly Human, even a single stroke must be handled with caution and care."

Ceng Fuzi's tone suddenly became stern. "This turtle shell is full of flaws; anyone with a discerning eye would know something is wrong."

"If clues are leaked because of this object and it involves you, how can that be?"

He picked up the paperweight on the table and smashed the turtle shell.

Zhou You watched the fragments scatter, feeling it had been done quite well; why smash it?

Then he heard Ceng Fuzi say, "I will wipe away all traces for you two; remember, this matter ends here, only the three of us know, and you must never let outsiders know."

After a long while, Ceng Fuzi sighed, "Do you know what the mission of the two great families in the city, the Xu and Qi families, is?"

"Why does every city have noble families?"

"When the Earth Sect builds a city, is it done at will, or must there be a specific site selection?"

"When the Monarch establishes the City Gate Guard, besides killing bewitching objects, are there other purposes?"

Zhou You shook his head; he couldn't answer a single question.

"Originally, these matters were too far from you, but since you have already come into contact with those characters, it is time to tell you."

Ceng Fuzi sighed and recounted it to him in detail.

It turned out that from ancient times to the present, when every "Monarch" ascended the throne, the top priority was to sacrifice to heaven and earth and remotely worship the Nine Cauldrons of the Heavenly Human.

The only opportunity in the world for the Nine Cauldrons to gather and appear between heaven and earth was at the moment of the Enfeoffed Monarch's sacrifice, when heaven and earth were moved.

Afterward, the Nine Cauldrons would fade away, hiding between heaven and earth, leaving no further traces.

"However, the only path to the pinnacle of Martial Dao is to gather the power of the Nine Cauldrons and lift up the supreme Dao."

"Countless geniuses and heroes in the world have exhausted their lives pursuing the tracks of the Nine Cauldrons, traversing mountains and rivers, and exhausting the wilderness."

"Grandmasters have the Heavenly Human Induction; after stepping into this realm, they explore along the legendary places where the Nine Cauldrons appeared, and after making a breakthrough, they build new cities along the locations of those years."

"Every city is situated where the Nine Cauldrons once left their traces."

"Great clans multiply and grow strong, sending out branches to station in every city to monitor the traces of the Nine Cauldrons under the guise of collecting city-building taxes."

"The Monarch dispatches City Gate Guards across the world; while they are ostensibly guarding city gates, their true purpose is the same."

Ceng Fuzi spoke to this point, his face full of solemnity, "Zhou You, do you know that once this half-piece of fragmented text is leaked, in all this vast world, there will no longer be a place for you to hide?"

After Ceng Fuzi returned home and saw the fragmented text, he immediately concluded it was text rubbed from the Nine Cauldrons.

He sternly reprimanded Ceng Ruyu and took action to erase all traces, and summoning Zhou You today was also to explain the severity of the matter to him.

No matter how formidable Zhou You is, he is only a Qi and Blood warrior; the Nine Cauldrons involve the power struggles between Monarchs, Marquises, and great clans, and there are even supreme grandmasters watching at all times—a single moment of carelessness and he will be crushed to powder.

Zhou You understood in his heart that the weight of the Nine Cauldrons was far beyond what his current status could inquire about.

He still had 8 pieces of fragmented text in his hands, and 6 complete characters that were ten or a hundred times more precious; if they were leaked, he feared it would immediately invite a calamity of total destruction.

(End of this chapter)